Transfer of policy and charging rules during MIP handover

Abstract

The invention discloses a new protocol to minimize data loss, reduce overhead transmissions on the system, reduce time delays and signal interruption during a handover in a Mobile IP system. Prior art Mobile IP systems transfer policy and charging rules for a particular mobile user device from a server to a gateway after the handover occurs. The invention allows for the transfer of the policy and charging rules during the handover procedure so that the system does not need to wait on a subsequent transmission of the policy and charging rules in order to process the transmissions sent by or to the mobile user, which results in minimized data loss, reduced overhead, and reduced time delays and signal interruption.

1. A method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent for user equipment on a packet-based communication system comprising the steps of:
 preparing a source gateway to handover its connection to user equipment to a destination gateway; 
 providing handover information for user equipment from said source gateway to a destination gateway; 
 providing said destination gateway with policy and charging information for said user equipment with said handover information provided by said source gateway; 
 transferring the connection of the user equipment from said source gateway to said destination gateway; 
 establishing a new connection for the user equipment to its home network through the destination gateway by establishing a connection of the user equipment with the destination gateway and the home network for supporting the user equipment; and, 
 using the policy and charging rules provided to the destination gateway during the handover procedure to process data packets associated with user equipment until any different policy and charging information is received by the destination gateway. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 1  wherein the policy and charging information are confirmed by subsequent communications with the router holding that information and associated with the home network. 
     
     
       3. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting a request for policy and charging information for the user equipment to a router possessing said information and associated with the home network, and 
 transmitting the most appropriate policy and charging information to the destination gateway to confirm prior policy and charging information received from source gateway during handover procedures. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 3  wherein the policy and charging information transmitted from the router takes precedence over any previous policy and charging information transmitted to the destination gateway from the source gateway. 
     
     
       5. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 1  further comprising the steps of:
 establishing a tunnel between the source and destination gateways prior to establishing said new connection for the forwarding transmission of packets to the destination gateway from the source gateway. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 5  further comprising the steps of:
 disconnecting said tunnel between the source gateway and the destination gateway after the user equipment has established its connection to said home agent through the destination gateway. 
 
     
     
       7. A method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent for user equipment on a packet-based communication system comprising the steps of:
 preparing a source gateway to handover its connection to user equipment to a destination gateway; 
 providing handover information for user equipment from said source gateway to a destination gateway; 
 providing said destination gateway with policy and charging information for said user equipment with said handover information provided by said source gateway; 
 transferring the connection of the user equipment from, said source gateway to said destination gateway; 
 establishing a tunnel between the source and destination gateways for forwarding transmission of packets to the destination gateway; 
 establishing a new connection for the user equipment to its home network through the destination gateway by establishing a connection of the user equipment with the destination gateway and the home network for supporting the user equipment; 
 using the policy and charging information provided to the destination gateway during the handover procedure to process data packets associated with user equipment until any different policy and charging information is received by the destination gateway; and 
 disconnecting said tunnel between the source and destination gateways. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 7  wherein the policy and charging information are confirmed by subsequent communications with the router holding that information and associated with the home network. 
     
     
       9. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 7  further comprising the steps of:
 transmitting a request for policy and charging information for the user equipment to a router possessing said information and associated with the home network, and 
 transmitting the most appropriate policy and charging information to the destination gateway to confirm prior policy and charging information received from source gateway during handover procedures. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 9  wherein the policy and charging information transmitted from the router takes precedence over any previous policy and charging information transmitted to the destination gateway from the source gateway. 
     
     
       11. A method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent for user equipment on a packet-based communication system comprising the steps of:
 preparing a source gateway to handover its connection to user equipment to a destination gateway; 
 providing handover information for user equipment from said source gateway to a destination gateway; 
 providing said destination gateway with policy and charging information for said user equipment with said handover information provided by said source gateway; 
 transferring the connection of the user equipment from said source gateway to said destination gateway; 
 establishing a new connection for the user equipment to its home network through the destination gateway by establishing a connection the user equipment, destination gateway and the home network for supporting the user equipment; and, 
 using the policy and charging rules provided to the destination gateway during the handover procedure to process data packets associated with user equipment. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 11  wherein the policy and charging information are confirmed by subsequent communications with the router holding that information and associated with the home network. 
     
     
       13. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 11  further compressing the steps of:
 transmitting a request for policy and charging information for the user equipment to a router possessing said information and associated with the home network, and 
 transmitting the policy and charging information to the destination gateway to confirm prior policy and charging information received from source gateway during handover procedures. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 13  wherein the policy and charging information transmitted from the router takes precedence over any previous policy and charging information transmitted to the destination gateway from the source gateway. 
     
     
       15. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 11  further comprising the steps of:
 establishing a tunnel between the source and destination gateways prior to establishing said new connection for the forwarding transmission of packets to the destination gateway from the source gateway. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 15  further comprising the steps of:
 disconnecting said tunnel between the source gateway and the destination gateway after the user equipment has established its connection to said home agent through the destination gateway. 
 
     
     
       17. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 16  wherein the policy and charging information are confirmed by subsequent communications with the router holding that information and associated with the home network. 
     
     
       18. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 16  further compressing the steps of:
 transmitting a request for policy and charging information for the user equipment to a router possessing said information and associated with the home network, and 
 transmitting the policy and charging information to the destination gateway to confirm prior policy and charging information received from source gateway during handover procedures. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 18  wherein the policy and charging information transmitted from the router takes precedence over any previous policy and charging information transmitted to the destination gateway from the source gateway. 
     
     
       20. The method of smoothly changing connections to a home agent of  claim 11  wherein the system is a CDMA-based system.